A MIX OF TWO WORLDS

The group stood in tense silence as the voice echoed across the chamber.

"To proceed, the bonds of trust must be tested, and choices must be made. Only those worthy of survival may move forward. Betrayal lies in the nature of all. Prove your will."

The polished stone pedestal in the room's center glowed brighter, and the runes etched into its surface flared with a golden light. Five massive stone doors, each bearing the emblem of a faction, loomed like silent sentinels around them.

"This is a trap," Damian muttered, his crimson eyes narrowing as he surveyed the doors.

"It's a choice," the witch boy corrected, his golden eyes fixed on the pedestal. "A cruel one, but a choice nonetheless. One faction moves forward; the others stay behind."

"And die?" Sara asked quietly, though the answer was obvious.

"It's a test of survival," the boy continued. "The labyrinth demands it be so".

"You witches should stay behind," Damian snapped, stepping closer to the pedestal. "You've done your part with your magic, but this is where brute strength is needed. We vampires are faster and stronger. We'll move forward and finish this."

Selene bristled, stepping forward with her hands glowing faintly with magic. "We've guided us through traps and deciphered the labyrinth's magic. Without us, you wouldn't have made it this far!"

"And without us fighting off those shadow creatures, you'd be dead," Damian shot back.

"Enough!" Sara snapped, stepping between them. "We don't have time for this. We're supposed to be working together."

Damian's fangs glinted as he sneered. "Working together? Funny coming from someone who knows full well we can't trust them." He pointed toward Selene and the witch boy.

"Trust us?" Selene hissed. "You were going to betray us the first chance you got!"

"You have no proof of that," Damian growled.

"I don't need proof," Selene retorted. "It's in your nature."

The tension was thick, the air crackling with magic as tempers flared. Finally, Damian lunged for the lever, determined to claim the decision for the vampires.

Before Damian could reach the lever, Selene raised her hand, and a bolt of magical energy surged from her palm. It struck Damian mid-stride, throwing him back.

The chamber erupted into chaos.

Damian snarled as he recovered, his crimson eyes blazing. He moved with inhuman speed, a blur as he closed the gap between him and Selene. But the witch was ready. She whispered an incantation, and shimmering tendrils of light erupted from the ground, coiling around Damian's arms and legs like serpents.

"Let me go!" he roared, straining against the magical bonds.

"You were going to pull the lever without us!" Selene snapped. "Don't you dare accuse us of betrayal when you were the first to act!"

Another vampire, Elara, darted toward the witches, but the witch boy stepped forward, his hand glowing with energy. He slammed his palm into the ground, and a wall of shimmering force erupted between the two groups.

"You're not faster than magic," he said calmly, though his voice carried a warning.

"You think this barrier will stop us?" Elara hissed, her fangs bared.

"Long enough," he replied, his tone cold.

Selene began chanting, her words ancient and rhythmic, as glowing sigils appeared on the floor beneath the vampires' feet. The sigils flared to life, forming a binding circle that held them in place.

Damian struggled, his muscles bulging as he fought against the magical restraints, but they held firm. "You think you've won?" he growled. "You'll need us to survive whatever comes next!"

"We know," the witch boy said, his expression unreadable. "But you weren't going to let us proceed, were you? You were going to leave us behind."

"You don't know that!" Elara shouted.

"Yes, we do," Selene said sharply. "You vampires only think about yourselves. That's why the labyrinth made this test—because it knew betrayal was inevitable."

The vampires snarled, clearly not pleased by the accusation, but they could do little as the witches' magic held them fast.

The witch boy turned his attention to the pedestal, studying the glowing runes with practiced focus. "The labyrinth doesn't want us to fight to the death," he said. "It wants us to prove we can make hard choices. If we pick the right door, we all might have a chance to survive."

"And if you pick the wrong one?" Damian asked, his tone dripping with venom.

The boy didn't answer immediately. He ran his fingers over the pedestal, muttering incantations under his breath. Finally, he looked up. "The runes indicate that the serpent door—the one for the witches—is the safest path."

"Convenient," Damian snarled.

"Your strength and speed can't open these doors," Selene shot back. "This is magic, and we're the only ones who can handle it. If you had opened the wrong door, it might've killed all of us."

Damian glared at her but said nothing.

Selene lowered her hands, and the magical restraints binding the vampires faded. The shimmering barrier dissolved as well.

"Now what?" Sara asked cautiously.

"We move forward," the witch boy said. He gestured to the serpent door, which began to creak open, revealing a dark passageway beyond.

"And we're just supposed to trust you?" Damian asked.

"No," Selene replied, her voice steely. "But you don't have a choice."

The vampires exchanged uneasy glances but ultimately followed the witches toward the door. The air between the two groups was heavy with mistrust, and the alliance now hung by the thinnest of threads.

As they disappeared into the dark corridor, the voice of the labyrinth echoed once more, faint and mocking:

"Bonds of trust, indeed."